WHEN

WHERE

NORTH HOLLYWOOD — Parents, students and community leaders will rally around two state bills – AB 1478 and SB 808 — aimed at school accountability and local control. They will also be calling for rescinding offers of co-location to Celerity charter schools, currently under local and federal investigation for fraud, corruption, embezzlement, financial malfeasance and conflicts of interest.

“The Celerity scandal shows that unscrupulous people are allowed to cheat taxpayers and students through privately operated charter schools,” says Alex Caputo-Pearl, UTLA president. “Celerity has violated the public trust, why give them more public space?”

Despite being under investigation, Celerity recently targeted Arminta Elementary School for co-location. Celerity charter schools are currently operating, rent free and taxpayer-funded, at 8 LAUSD schools and are seeking space on an additional 10 campuses for next school year.

Under current California law (Proposition 39), space without a dedicated teacher and student roster can be given to a charter school, but often that "open space" includes parent centers, computer labs and tutoring programs that are key components to a quality education. There are more than 220 independent charter schools operating in L.A. Unified, which has the most co-located schools in the state.

Summary of the two charter school bills:

• AB 1478 (Jones-Sawyer): Accountability and Transparency at Charter Schools. Requires charter school governing boards to comply with laws promoting transparency and accountability to parents and the public in the operation of public schools and expenditure of public funds; it does not ask more from charter schools than of traditional public schools. The public’s business should be transacted in public. Companies and organizations that manage charter schools must open board meetings to parents and the public.

• SB 808 (Mendoza): Local Control of Charter Schools. Requires that all charter school petitions must be approved by the school board of the school district in which they reside. School boards are elected to make decisions in the best interest of the communities they serve. By summarily overruling rigorous evaluations of charter petitions by local school boards, county and state education officers are undermining the practice of local control.

Celerity made headlines in the LA Times recently, which found that CEO Vielka McFarlane earned over $471,000 in 2013, sported Armani suits, and arrived at schools in limos while students lacked basic school supplies. According to financial records cited by the Times, she paid for many of these expenses with “credit cards belonging to her charter schools, which receive a bulk of their funding from the state.”

# # #

News

December 12, 2017

We continue to be in regular contact with LAUSD officials and State Superintendent Tom Torlakson, advocating for state support so that LAUSD is not financially penalized for this unprecedented natural disaster. We know there are many pending areas of concern, including how to handle the major disruption to final exams and elementary reports cards.

Enjoy the things that really matter with the equity that you’ve built into your home. The low introductory rate HELOC can be used to build an addition, remodel the kitchen, pay off bills, take a vacation, and help with tuition. Borrow up to 100% combined loan-to-value with no upfront fees. Apply today at ccu.com/heloc or call (800) 334-8788. All loans subject to approval.

Kaiser Permanente is one of America’s largest nonprofit health plans – and the only unionized health plan with union care and quality. Kaiser Permanente is top-rated in California for member satisfaction. Find our more information at kp.org.

Apply for a low-rate Holiday Loan to provide the resources you need for gifts, shopping, and travel. No collateral needed and rates are fixed with low monthly payments for the life of the loan. Apply today at ccu.com/holidayloan or call (800) 334-8788. All loans subject to approval.

The School Leadership Academy is a 15-month entirely online program, which prepares you to become an effective educational leader, and culminates in a Preliminary Administrative Credential recommendation. Cohorts start each January and August; the January 2018 cohort is filling quickly. Submit your application today! Email cdietz@usc.edu or call 213-740-7775.

Emergency Alert

December 6, 2017

All schools in the San Fernando Valley and 17 schools affected by the Skirball fire will be closed Thursday, December 7, and Friday, December 8. This includes all schools in Local District Northeast, all schools in Local District Northwest, and 17 schools in Local District West.